Counterbalanced cover lift



Sept. 8, 1959 A. R. TURNER 2,903,149

COUNTERBALANCED COVER LIFT Filed Jan. so, 195g nited Sttes Patent2,903,149 COUNTER-BALAN CED COVER LIFT lonzo Robert Turner, Stoughton,Wis., assigner to Counter Balance, Inc., Stoughton, Wis., a corporationof Illinois Application January 30, 1958, Serial No. 712,189

Claims. (Cl. 217-60) 'I'he present invention relates to a cover lift fora cabinet assembly such as those employed in housing the-assembly orcomponent parts of a record player, radio, and more particularly to anovel counterbalanced cover lift -for retaining the cofver in fully openor in any intermediate open position.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention toprovide a novel cover lift assembly for a cabinet in which the cover isreadily and easily moved to open position and is tensionally retained insuch open position without danger of the cover dropping and injuring theoperator or causing damage to the mechanism Within the cabinet. Forexample, in record players or in high fidelity units, dropping of thecover or a sudden jar as may occur when the cover is carelessly thrownopen, may result in damage to the stylus, records and/ or other partsand such` damage could involve substantial expense for repair orreplacement of the damaged parts.

A further object of the present invention is the pro- Vision of a novelcover lift assembly capable of rigidly and securely retaining the coverin any desired elevated position and elfectively compensating for theweight of the cover in any such positions of adjustment.

The present invention further comprehends the provision of a novelspring-loaded cam unit for a counterbalanced cover lift whereby thecover or lid of a cabinet may be elevated and -retained in its normalfully open position or in any intermediate open positions, and alsoprovided with novel means permitting the cover to be opened to anextreme open position without disconnection of any of the cover lift inthe event complete access to the mechanism housed within the cabinet isrequired. This is of particular importance in the assembly, repair orreplacement of the record changer or other component parts of a recordplayer or the like when service is required.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novelcover lift including a spring-loaded cam member so constructed andarranged as to automatically and electively compensate for the weight ofthe cover in any position to which it may be opened and to positivelyretain the cover in such elevated position.

j a preferred embodiment it is to be understood that the same issusceptible of modification and change, and comprehends other details,arrangement of parts, features and constructions without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the novel counterbalanced coverlift shown in position with they cover or lid of a cabinet held in itsnormal, fully open position, the housing being longitudinally sectionedor broken away to disclose the internal assembly.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the assembly of Fig. 1 but withthe housing complete and the cover moved or elevated to its extreme andmaximum open service position to permit ready access to the mechanismcontained within the cabinet by a service man or to facilitate assemblyor replacement of the component parts of a record player or othermechanism housed within the cabmet.

Fig. 3 is a view of the assembly of Fig. 1 when the cover or lid hasbeen lowered to closed position.

Fig. 4 is a View in vertical cross section through the cover and cabinetand showing in end elevation the novel cover lift with the cover closed,the View being taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 and viewed in thedirection of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawing in which isshown an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the novelcounterbalanced cover lift is disclosed in a cabinet assembly 11 inwhich a cover or lid 12 is intended to be elevated and retained inpartially or fully open position, and when moved to its lowered positionis to be retained closed but with the pressure on the cover relievedwhereby to prevent warping.

The novel counterbalanced cover lift assembly of the present inventioncomprises a substantially U-shaped housing 13 provided at its outer orupper end with an end wall 14 having a slot for conformably but slidablyreceiving a spring guide 15 in the form of an elongated flat bar thatprojects through the slot and beyond the end wall 14 of the housingwhere its outer end 16 is provided with a transverse rivet or pin 17projecting through an elongated slot 18 in the cam member 19.

The cam member 19 is formed or provided with an arm 21 pivotallyconnected to a projecting leg 22 of an L-shaped bracket 23 by means of arivet or pin 24, the other leg or base 25 of this bracket being affixedby screws or other attaching means 26 to the underside of the lid 12adjacent one corner thereof. The disclosed cam member is provided with acam face 27 with the contiguous surface on the outer or upper ledge 28of a slide member 29 maintained in frictional contact with this camface. This slide member which is located and carried upon the exteriorof the end wall 14 and the housing 13 is preferably formed of solidb-rass to minimize wear and to substantially prolong its life. It isalso provided with spaced upstanding ribs 31 on its upper or outersurface of the ledge 28 with one of the ribs being disposed alongsidethe face of the cam member 19 to prevent buckling or lateraldisplacement of this member. Two of these ribs are provided and sospaced apart whereby the cam member 19 may be disposed at and pivotallyconnected to either side of the outer end 16 of the spring guide 15.

As disclosed, this slide member 29 is of substantially P-shape with itsupper or outer ledge 28 and its inturned end 32 maintained in spacedrelation by a hollow spacer 33 mounted therebetween. Each of thesespaced parallel surfaces 28 and 32 is provided with a slot with theseslots and the opening in the spacer 33 aligned to conformably receiveand through which projects and moves the outer or upper portion of thespring guide 15 adjacent its end 16.

The spring guide 15 adjacent its inner or lower end 34 is enlarged toprovide laterally projecting shoulders at 35 providing a seat for thelower or inner end of a coil spring 36, the outer or upper end of thespring seating against the interior of the end wall 14 of the housing 13whereby this coil spring is maintained under compression. Beyond itsenlargement 35 and between this enlargement and its inner or lower end34, this spring guide is offset 3 at 37 and its lower end is pivotallyconnected by a rivet or pin 38 to one leg 39 of a Z-shaped bracket 41.The other leg or base 42 of .this bracket is affixed to the Vinterior ofa side wall of the cabinet 11 by screws;.0r

.attaching means 26.

The end 34 of the spring guide -15 is also Aprovided '.withspacedembossments projecting from the face of the f end 34 opposite to thatshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 vin which the indentations 43 for .suchembossments or protuberances are shown. These embossments are locatedkadjacent the outer or upper edge 44 of the leg 39 of the bracket41, thelatter being rounded at onecorner and at the other corner extended,whereby relative movement between the end 34 of the spring guide 15 andthe leg;39

- of the-bracket 41 is permittedin one direction but limited in theotherdirection.

y In the operation of the present cover lift, Fig. 1 shows the cover orlid 12 manually raised to its normal, fully elevated positionwith the atportion of the cam surface 27 retained in contact with the upper surface28 of the slide member 29.

The contour of the-cam face is such as to compensate for the weight ofand retain the cover or lid at any angle 1 or degree of opening. Thereverse cam action eliminates :sudden jar when the cover is carelesslymoved or thrown -to open position, thus protecting the .stylus :andrecord of 'arecord player.

When the novel lift is employed in a radio, record `player, etc., thecover may be elevated to the maximum yopenl position shown in Fig. 2whereby the component parts of the mechanism housed in the cabinetl 11may be lmost conveniently assembled or serviced, the personassembling orservicing being assured that the cover will be maintained in thisextreme elevated position until again 'manually lowered. This requiresno disconnection yand :resting of the cover at angle of approximately180"k from its closed position, frequently resulting in injury to thebutt hinges or loosening of its attaching screws.

Allthat is required to move the cover from the normal fully elevatedposition in Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2 is for the operator to press histhumb against the cam member lat approximately the point designated bythe reference `character 47 and thereby shift the position of the rivetfrom the rearV end of the slot-18 (Fig. l) to the other or-forward endof this slot (Fig. 2), whereupon the corner or angular portion 45 of thecam member seats upon the surface of the ledge 28 of the slide member'29`and the cover12. is locked or rigidly heldin `this fully '-27v seatsagainst the surface of the ledge 28 of the slide member 29. Inthis'position, the cover is relieved or pressure and'possible warping.

The cover lift being connected by the Z-bracket 41 to a side rather thanto the lback of the cabinet 11, tor- 'tional rigidity is attained bysuch mounting and alignment 'of the back and corner joints of thecabinet is effectively maintained. While there is shownbutasinglecover'lift Vpositioned in one corner of the cabinet, anotherdnaybe provided in the opposite corneryif required or desired.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim: 1. A cover lift forretaining the hinged cover of a cabinet in'elevated position, comprisinga cam member having an arm pivotally attached to the cover, anelonggated spring guide pivotally connected at one end to said cammember and at its other end pivotally conneetedto said cabinet, saidspringguidehaving a shoulder adjacent its other end, a housingfor saidspring guide and through which projects'theerid of Said spring guidethat'is connectedtosaid cam member with said spring guide longitudinallymovable in said housing, a coil spring encompassing said spring guidewith one end seating within and against one end of said housing and theother end of said spring seating upon said shoulder on said spring guidewhereby said coil spring is maintained under compression, a slide memberdisposed upon an end of said housing adjacent said. cam. member.anddraving a. ledge against which the cam face of said cam memberengages and slotted to slidably receive. the. adjacent end of saidspring guide whereby said slide member and said housing are bodilyshiftable upon said spring guide, said slide member having spacedparallel.slotted'portions one ofwhich provides said ledge .that ismaintained. in .contact with said cam member and a .spacer therebetweenthrough which spacer and said slotted portions said spring slideprojects and is movable.

'2.F-A` cover lift'for retaining .the hinged cover-of a cabinetinelevated position, comprising a cam. member lhavingtan arm pivotallyattached at one end on.a lfixed 'axistothe cover and at its other endprovided with a cam face. and an elongated slot adjacent the cam face, aone-piece, at spring guide pivotally and slidably connectved-at `one endin the slot of said cam member and at its -through -which said springguide projects and through which itis longitudinally movable with saidhousing proother end pivotally connected to said cabinet, al housingvided with-'a slotted end wall through which an end of =saidspring guideprojects for connection to the slot in 3()` said cam-member, a coilspring encompassing said spring guide -within said housing with one endof said spring seating-against the slotted end wall of the housing andthel other-end seating upon a shoulder provided on said spring` guideintermediate its length, a slide member disposed at the exterior of andupon an end of said housing adjacent said cam member and having-a ledgeagainst which the cam face of said cam member engages and slotted toslidably receive the adjacent end of said spring guide whereby saidslide member and said housing are bodily shiftable upon said springguide by engagement of said cam -face with the slide member, said slidemember 'having a part projecting along one side of said housing,*slotted spaced parts one of which provides said ledge and a hollowspacer therebetween, the slots in said spaced parts slidably receivingsaid spring guide with said ledge `tensionally pressed into contact withsaid cam face.

3. A cover lift for retaining the hinged cover of a cabinetl in elevatedposition, comprising a cam member having a cam face and a part pivotallyconnected to the cover upon a fixed axis, a spring guide pivotally andslidably connected at one end to said cam member and Yatits other endpivotally connected to said cabinet, a

projection on said spring guide adjacent said other end, embossments onthe other end of said guide to limit its -pivotalY movement in onedirection, a housing through which said spring guide projects and withinwhich it is longitudinally movable with said housing provided with aslotted end wall through which an end of said spring guide projects forconnection to said cam member, a coil spring encompassing said springguide within said housing with one end of said spring seating againstthe slotted end wall of thel housing and the other end seating upon saidprojection on said spring guide, a slide member loosely .arranged andlongitudinally movable `on said spring guide on one end of said housingadjacent said cam member and maintained in contact with the caml facewhereby said slide member and said housing are-bodily shiftable uponsaid spring guide and the'spring is maintainedunder compression.

4. A cover lift for retaining the hinged cover ofV a cabinet in'any oneof a plurality of elevated positions and to compensate for the weight ofthe elevated cover, comprising a campivotally connected at one .end upona xed axis to the cover and having a cam face at its other end, a springguide pivotally connected at one end to the other end of said cam memberadjacent said cam face and at its other end pivotally connected to saidcabinet, an abutment on said spring guide adjacent its other end, ahousing Ifor said spring guide and through which the latter islongitudinally movable with the end of said spring guide projectingbeyond said housing and connected to said cam member, a coil springencompassing said spring guide within the housing with one end seatingagainst one end of said housing and the other end of said spring seatingupon said abutment on said spring guide whereby said coil spring ismaintained under compression, and a slide member disposed upon an end ofsaid housing adjacent said cam member and having spaced parts againstone of which the cam face of said cam member engages and slotted toslidably receive the 15 adjacent end of said spring guide whereby saidslide member and said housing are bodily shftable upon said springguide, said slide member having spaced ribs on said one spaced partengaged by said cam member with said ribs extending alongside said cammember.

5. A cover lift as set forth in claim 4 in which the pivotal connectionbetween said spring guide and cam comprises an elongated slot in the camand a pin on the spring guide projecting through said slot and movable10 from one to the other end of said slot.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 933,070Gleason Sept. 7, 1909

